Monday, June 10, 2013

The only disadvantage to the weather being so perfect at The Wells Street Art Festival in Chicago’s trendy Old Town neighborhood this past Saturday is that it ensured a massive turnout. By the time I arrived at 3:30 PM to take in some art, photography, and free food and beverage samples before checking out The Smithereens at 5:45 PM, it was nearly impossible to squeeze through the sun-drenched revelers. This meant not being able to get a full view of the stage, but at least I could hear the songs perfectly well.

Summer just wasn’t the same last year without The Smithereens dropping in for at least one outdoor festival, so it was good to hear them cranking out their power pop gems again in 2013. They opened with the guitar-driven “Behind The Wall Of Sleep” from their full-length debut Especially For You. Introducing “Sorry” from their overlooked but very strong Smithereens 2011 CD, lead vocalist-guitarist Pat DiNizio noted that Tom Petty invited the band to join him and The Heartbreakers on tour this year after he had heard it.

The Wells Street Art Festival concert also included “In A Room Without A View,” “Time And Time Again,” “Only A Memory,” and “House We Used To Live In,” which once again segued into “Sparks,” the instrumental from The Who’s Tommy. Guitarist-vocalist Jim Babjak and drummer-vocalist Dennis Diken, as always, joined DiNizio for some well-executed jamming. Bassist Severo “The Thrilla” Jornacion was missing, due to an illness (I think), and I didn’t catch the name of the musician filling in for him. Whoever it was definitely met the challenge of propelling The Smithereens through their signature barn-burner, “Blood And Roses.”

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About This Blog

Broken Hearted Toy is an eclectic celebration of creativity, with over 2,000 posts since 2009.

It's based in Chicago but covers power pop, garage, cutting-edge, and 1960s rock from around the globe; along with occasional bits on art; literature; and theatre.

Top of the hill is a nice place to be at. - - - "Elevated Observations" by The Hollies.

Check out some of my previoius creative endeavors.

Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff was a weekly Internet show created by and starring Jeff Kelley. It mostly consisted of comedy bits and obscure 1960s garage rock set to vintage TV and film clips but also spotlighted entertainment events around Illinois.

My wife Pam and I created a handful of series (each episode was about two minutes long) that were shown on Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff. They included Manchester Gallery (see description below); Old Days, which I hosted in the persona of a cranky old man named Fritz Willoughby; Roving Reporter, where I played the clueless title character; What's With Terry?, a performance arts program; and Hanging With The Hollies, a takeoff on Breakfast With The Beatles.

I've also worked with Kelley and Willy Deal on comedy clips, and with Kelley and David Metzger on films for the annual Nightmare on Chicago Street Halloween festival in Elgin.

I'm particularly proud of this 21-episode comedy series Pam and I created for Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff. Each installment was a few minutes long, and featured me portraying Terrence, the curator of a pop culture museum.

I was a staff writer for this Chicago-based magazine from 1987 to 2015. The Illinois Entertainer has been covering rock music for over 40 years, and can be found in stores and entertainment venues, as well as in an online edition.

Chicago Art Machine was a web-based publishing company run by Editor-in-Chief, Kathryn Born, and Managing Editor, Robin Dluzen, that included Chicago Art Magazine, Chicago DIY Film,Chicago Performance And Trailers, and TINC. Most of my submissions appeared in Chicago DIY Film and Chicago Performance And Trailers, although I contributed to all the online Chicago Art Machine publications.

I was a writer and performer with this local comedy group from 1989 to 2009. Famous In The Future continues to perform in the Chicago area, and appeared at every one of the Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sinstheatre festivals that were held at the Mary-Arrchie Theatre. Since the closing of the Mary-Arrchie Theatre a few years ago, Famous In The Future has carried on the tradition by presenting Yippie Fest each year in August.

I'm an active member of SCBWI, (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) and have written two Middle Grade fantasy novels. I've just finished a YA/paranormal novel, and also wrote a suspense/satiric novel that takes place amidst Chicago's alternative music scene in the mid-1980s.

Broken Hearted Toy

The blog title comes from the line, "I'm the brokenhearted toy you play with" in the song "I Can't Let Go" by The Hollies. One of the great original British Invasion bands, The Hollies continue to have an immense influence on power pop bands to this day, and have finally been inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here is a video of "I Can't Let Go" being performed in 1966.